1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing control apparatus, paratus, a printing control method and a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer, in which printing processing of a printing unit is controlled by analyzing printing information received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a printing system to which a printing control apparatus of this kind can be applied, when an error is generated during processing of received data, intervention of an operator is awaited by displaying an error state on a display unit of the printing apparatus, or printing processing is continued by automatically skipping the error by fault continuation means determined at each of processing steps, comprising input, development and output steps, when a preassigned time period has elapsed after the error state.
Since the conventional printing control apparatus is configured in the above-described manner, printing cannot be performed until an operator comes while displaying the error state. Accordingly, for example, when a printing apparatus is shared, continuously transmitted data cannot be processed, resulting in large delay in printing.
Even if error skip is automatically performed, normal printing is not guranteed because the basic cause of the error in printing data is not removed. Accordingly, for example, a disturbed image output is obtained in the case of an error in development, output using a sheet of an erroneous size may be obtained in the case of an error of no sheets, or output of blurred printing is obtained in the case of consumption of toner.
In the conventional printing apparatus, for example, when processing cannot be continued because, for example, there is no sheet to be fed, a normal printing result cannot be guaranteed due to an insufficient memory capacity, or an assigned font is not mounted, the apparatus shifts to an error state, where, for example, the operator""s instruction of continuation/interruption of printing, or the operator""s operation of setting sheets is awaited.
In such cases, even if a succeeding job is present and can be processed with no problem, the printing apparatus interrupts processing. Accordingly, all of succeeding jobs are made in a waiting state. Hence, particularly when the printing apparatus is used on a network by a plurality of users, it is very inconvenient to use th e apparatus.
For example, in a printer where only A4-size sheets are eset, if a job J1 requiring A3-size sheets and a job J2 requiring A4-size sheets are spooled and processed in this sequence, an error requesting A3-size sheets to the operator is generated because the job J1 cannot be processed, and the process is interrupted.
In this case, although the spooled job J2 can be processed with no problem, the processing of the job J2 is held until the error due to the job J1 is released.
It is an object of the present invention to solve the above-described problems.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a printing control apparatus, a printing control method and a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer, in which when an error is generated during processing of printing information received from a data processing apparatus or each of data processing apparatuses, printing information is received from the data processing apparatus, serving as the source of transfer of the printing information, by releasing the error or notifying the data processing apparatus of information indicating cancel of a printing job. Even if each kind of error is generated during processing of the, received printing information, it is possible to provide a state of resuming reception of printing information from the data processing apparatus by executing error releasing processing corresponding to the type of the error. Hence, it is possible to shorten the time required for providing the data processing apparatus with a printable state, to reduce burden in error releasing processing, and to prevent stagnation of the succeeding printing job from the data processing apparatus.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a printing control apparatus, a data processing method for a printing control apparatus, a printing control system, a data processing method for a printing control system, and a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer, in which even when a cause to interrupt printing is generated during processing of a preceding job, if the cause is a cause to interrupt printing which does not hinder execution of the succeeding job, succeeding jobs are preferentially and sequentially executed. Hence, even if a cause to interrupt printing is generated while executing jobs received in advance, succeeding jobs capable of being processed are sequentially processed in accordance with the cause to interrupt printing. As a result, succeeding jobs can be efficiently processed by preventing a state in which all of succeeding jobs are held due to a cause to interrupt printing peculiar to the preceding job.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control apparatus capable of communicating with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium. The printing control apparatus includes detection means for detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from the data processing apparatus, determination means for determining a type of the error detected by the detection means, releasing means for executing error releasing processing based on the type of the error determined by the determination means, and control means for cancelling the printing job after the error releasing processing by the releasing means.
In an embodiment, the control means notifies a source of transfer of the printing information of information relating to the cancel of the printing job.
In another embodiment, the control means notifies a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined by the determination means.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes first setting means for setting a time-out value for performing notification of the type of the error. When a time period after the detection means has detected the error exceeds the time-out value set by the first setting means, the control means notifies a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined by the determination means.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes second setting means for setting a time-out value for performing notification of cancel information. When a time period after the detection means has detected the error exceeds the time-out value set by the second setting means, the control means notifies a source of transfer of the printing information of information relating to the cancel of the printing job.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control apparatus capable of communicating with a plurality of data processing apparatuses via a predetermined communication medium. The printing control apparatus includes detection means for detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from one of the data processing apparatuses, determination means for determining a type of the error detected by the detection means, releasing means for executing error releasing processing based on the type of the error determined by the determination means, and control means for cancelling the printing job after the error releasing processing by the releasing means.
In an embodiment, the control means notifies one of the data processing apparatuses of Information relating to the cancel of the printing job by identifying an apparatus where the printing information is to be notified.
In another embodiment, the control means notifies one of the data processing apparatuses of the type of the error determined by the determination means by identifying an apparatus where the printing information is to be notified.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes first setting means for setting a time-out value for performing notification of the type of the error. When a time period after the detection means has detected the error exceeds the time-out Value set by the first setting means, the control means notifies one of the data processing apparatus of the type of the error determined by the determination means by identifying an apparatus where the printing information is to be notified.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes second setting means for setting a time-out value for performing notification of cancel information. When a time period after the detection means has detected the error exceeds the time-out value set by the second setting means, the detection means notifies one of the data processing apparatuses of information relating to the cancel of the printing job by identifying an apparatus where the printing information is to be notified.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control method for controlling a process of printing printing information received by communicating with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium. The method includes the steps of detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from the data processing apparatus, determining a type of the error detected in the detecting step, executing error releasing processing based on the type of the error determined in the determining step, notifying a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined in the determining step, cancelling the printing job after the error releasing processing in the releasing step, and notifying the source of transfer of the printing information of information relating to the cancel in the cancelling step.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control method for controlling processing of printing printing information received by communicating with a plurality of data processing apparatuses; via a predetermined communication medium. The method includes the steps of detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from one of the data processing apparatuses, determining a type of the error detected in the detecting step, executing error releasing Processing based on the type of the error determined in the determining step, notifying a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined in the determining step, cancelling the printing job after the error releasing processing in the releasing step, and notifying one of the data processing apparatuses of information relating to the cancel in the cancelling step.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer for controlling a process of printing printing information received by communicating with a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium. The program includes the steps of detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from the data processing apparatus, determining a type of the error detected in the detecting step, executing error releasing processing based on the type of the error determined in the determining step, notifying a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined in the determining step, cancelling, the printing job after the error releasing processing in the releasing step, and notifying the source of transfer of the printing information of information relating to the cancel in the cancelling step.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer for controlling processing of printing printing information received by communicating with a plurality of data processing apparatuses via a predetermined communication medium. The program includes the steps of detecting an error for a printing job based on printing information received from one of the data processing apparatuses, determining a type of the error detected in the detecting step, executing error releasing processing based on the type of the error determined in the determining step, notifying a source of transfer of the printing information of the type of the error determined in the determining step, cancelling the printing job after the error releasing processing in the releasing step, and notifying one of the data processing apparatuses of information relating to the cancel in the cancelling step.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control apparatus capable of performing printing processing by sequentially spooling printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job, and analyzing the spooled printing data in units of a job. The printing control apparatus includes storage means for spooling the printing data in a memory, and control means for changing, when printing processing is interrupted during processing of printing printing data which has been spooled in advance, an execution schedule of each spooled job so as to preferentially execute a job of spooled printing data capable of being printed by analyzing a cause of interruption of printing.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control apparatus capable of performing printing processing by sequentially spooling printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job, and analyzing the spooled printing data in units of a job. The printing control apparatus includes assigning means for assigning a time-out time from generation of a cause to interrupt printing of a job being subjected to printing processing until start of printing processing of a succeeding job, time counting means for counting the time-out time assigned by the assigning means from the generation of a cause to interrupt printing of a job being subjected to printing processing, and job control means for causing sequential processing of spooled succeeding jobs when the time counting means has counted the time-out time.
In an embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes determination means for determining if a type of the generated cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is a cause peculiar to the job. When the determination means has determined that the type of the generated cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is a cause peculiar to the job, and the time counting means has completed the counting of the assigned time-out time, the job control means causes preferential sequential processing of spooled succeeding jobs.
In an embodiment, the cause peculiar to the job is a printing control command which originates from a state of insufficiency of printing resources or which cannot be processed.
In another embodiment, the printing resources include font resources, recording-medium resources and memory resources, and the printing command which cannot be processed includes a printing command for image data.
In still another embodiments, the printing control apparatus further includes page determination means for determining if a page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated is a leading page in printing data. When the page determination means has determined that the page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is a leading page in the printing data, the time counting means starts counting of the time-out time.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes spool determination means for determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated. When the spool determination means has determined that the succeeding job is spooled, the time counting means starts counting of the time-out time.
In still another embodiment, the job control means performs sequential processing by replacing the interrupted job with the spooled succeeding job.
In still another embodiment, the job control means performs sequential processing by rearranging succeeding jobs so that the interrupted job is the last job in the spooled succeeding jobs.
In still another embodiment, the printing control apparatus further includes spool determination means for determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated. When the spool determination means has determined that the succeeding job is not spooled, the job control means causes processing of the interrupted job.
In still another embodiments, the printing control apparatus further includes storage means for storing the cause to interrupt printing of the job generated during the printing processing, and release determination means for determining if the cause to interrupt printing stored in the storage means is released, at every processing of the succeeding job. When the release determination means has determined that the cause to interrupt printing stored in the storage means is released, the job control means causes processing of the interrupted job.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a data processing method for a printing control apparatus capable of performing printing processing by sequentially spooling printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job, and analyzing the spooled printing data in units of a job. The method includes the steps of counting a time-out time from generation of a cause to interrupt printing of a job being subjected to printing processing until printing processing of a succeeding job is started, and causing preferential sequential processing of spooled succeeding jobs after the counting of the time-out time has been completed in the counting step.
In an embodiment, the method further includes the step of determining if a page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated is a leading page in the printing data. When the page determining step has determined that the page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is a leading page in the printing data, the time counting step starts counting of the time-out time.
In another embodiment, the method further includes the step of determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated. When the spool determining step has determined that the succeeding job is spooled, the time counting step starts counting of the time-out time.
In still another embodiment, the job controlling step causes sequential processing by replacing the interrupted job with the spooled succeeding job.
In still another embodiment, the job controlling step causes sequential processing by rearranging succeeding jobs so that the interrupted job is the last job in the spooled succeeding jobs.
In still another embodiment, the method further includes the step of determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated. When the spool determining step has determined that the succeeding job is not spooled, the job controlling step causes processing of the interrupted job.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer for controlling a printing apparatus capable of performing printing processing by sequentially spooling printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job, and analyzing the spooled printing data in units of a job. The program includes the steps of counting a time-out time from generation of a cause to interrupt printing of a job being subjected to printing processing until processing of printing a succeeding job is started, and causing preferential sequential processing of spooled succeeding jobs after the counting of the time-out time has been completed in the counting step.
In an embodiment, the program further includes the step of determining if a page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated is a leading page in the printing data. When the page determining step has determined that the page where the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is a leading page in the printing data, the time counting step starts counting of the time-out time.
In another embodiment, the program further includes the step of determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated When the spool determining step has determined that the succeeding job is spooled, the time counting step starts counting of the time-out time.
In still another embodiment, the job controlling step causes sequential processing by replacing the interrupted job with the spooled succeeding job.
In still another embodiment, the job controlling step causes sequential processing by rearranging succeeding jobs so that the interrupted job is the last job in the spooled succeeding jobs.
In still another embodiment, the program further includes the step of determining if a succeeding job is spooled when the cause to interrupt printing of the job being subjected to printing processing is generated. When the spool determining step has determined that the succeeding job is not spooled, the job controlling step causes processing of the interrupted job.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing control system capable of performing printing processing in which a server sequentially spools printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job and transfers the spooled printing data to a printing apparatus, and the transferred printing data is analyzed in units of a job. The system includes a server for spooling the printing data, and control means for changing, when it is detected that the printing apparatus has interrupted printing processing during processing of printing printing data spooled in advance in the server, an execution schedule of each spooled job so as to preferentially execute a job of printing data being spooled and capable of being printed by analyzing a cause to interrupt printing.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a data processing method for a printing control system capable of performing printing processing in which a server sequentially spools printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job and transfers the spooled printing data to a printing apparatus, and the transferred printing data is analyzed in units of a job. The method includes the step of changing, when it is detected that the printing apparatus has interrupted printing processing during processing of printing printing data spooled in advance in the server, an execution schedule of each spooled job so as to preferentially execute a job of printing data being spooled and capable of being printed by analyzing a cause to interrupt printing.
According to still another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a storage medium storing a program capable of being read by a computer for controlling a printing control system capable of performing printing processing in which a server sequentially spools printing data received from a data processing apparatus via a predetermined communication medium in units of a job and transfers the spooled printing data to a printing apparatus, and the transferred printing data is analyzed in units of a job. The program includes the step of changing, when it is detected that the printing apparatus has interrupted printing processing during processing of printing printing data spooled in advance in the server, an execution schedule of each spooled job so as to preferentially execute a job of printing data being spooled and capable of being printed by analyzing a cause to interrupt printing.
The foregoing and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.